Ryan Loskarn believed to have committed suicide

Jesse Ryan Loskarn, a one-time star staffer who was the former top aide to Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, was found dead Thursday afternoon following charges he possessed and distributed child pornography, according to the sheriff’s office in Carroll County, Md. Loskarn, 35, is believed to have committed suicide.

”At approximately 12pm yesterday, Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a private residence in the 6900 block of Kenmar Lane for a report of an unconscious male, believed to be deceased,” said a statement from Colonel Phil Kasten of the Carroll County Sheriff’s office. “Family members reported finding 35 year old Jesse Ryan Loskarn unresponsive in his basement where he’d been residing with family since this past December. The preliminary investigation indicates that Loskarn may have taken his own life, and his body has since been transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for Autopsy. The investigation continues….”

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Loskarn, who was awaiting the outcome of grand jury proceedings in his case, had been staying with his parents since being released on his own recognizance. He was scheduled to next appear in federal court on Feb. 10. Loskarn had been ordered not to use the Internet and was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet.

In a brief statement, Alexander said: “For everyone involved, this is a sad and tragic story from beginning to end.”

”We loved our son very much, and we’re devastated by his death,” they said. “Please respect our privacy at this difficult time and let us grieve in peace. Pray for him, his family and friends.”

Loskarn’s sharp and sudden downfall stunned Capitol Hill, given his reputation as a well-regarded and savvy operative who was close to GOP senators, powerful political aides and members of the media. Loskarn was arrested last month by U.S. Postal Service investigators on charges that he possessed and distributed child pornography following a raid by federal agents on his D.C. home.

Loskarn, a Maryland native who graduated from Tulane University in 2000, moved to Washington after college and worked his way through the House, including a stint with GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. He later moved onto the Senate, working with then-Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.), the No. 3 Republican at the time running the GOP’s messaging operations. After Alexander won the Senate GOP Conference chairman’s post in 2007, Loskarn joined the senator’s office and later moved on to become his chief of staff.

With Alexander up for reelection in 2014, Loskarn had become a trusted aide and was heavily involved in the GOP senator’s efforts to win reelection.

But it wasn’t until the news media was alerted to the fact that Loskarn’s house was being raided that Alexander learned of the investigation and charges into his former top aide.

Federal prosecutors had argued against Loskarn’s release and said that he made statements around the time of his arrest that suggested he could be a potential suicide risk.

But Loskarn’s lawyer, Pamela Satterfield, countered that it was “not a concern” and pointed out that Loskarn had no prior criminal record and had “deep ties” to the Washington community.